All Blacks v France: Scott Barrett ruled out for remainder of series with calf injury

Scott Barrett will not feature again in the All Blacks’ test series against France.

The All Blacks captain left the field after 57 minutes in the side’s 31-27 win in the series opener in Dunedin, with coach Scott Robertson later confirming that move was due to a suspected Achilles injury.

The 31-year-old had scans on Monday, revealing a torn calf muscle which will keep him out of the second and third tests.

The All Blacks have not called in a replacement, but are considering their options, while Barrett’s likely return to play is yet to be determined.

All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen said they would be taking a “week for week” approach to Barrett’s recovery timeline.

“The process at the moment medically is Scooter [Barrett] won’t be available for the rest of the series,” he said.

“There are just some options for us to consider and what that looks like in the replacement of the group, so we’re going through that at the moment.”

It’s another loss for the squad, with No 8 Wallace Sititi (ankle) and prop Tamaiti Williams (knee) already ruled out of the series and winger Sevu Reece scratched from contention for this weekend’s test in Wellington due to concussion.

Reece was knocked out when trying to make a tackle in the first minute of Saturday night’s test win in Dunedin, and Robertson said the winger was deemed to have a category one head knock after undergoing a head injury assessment.

With Barrett ruled out, loose forward Ardie Savea is expected to assume the captaincy, while there could be a reshuffle in the pack.

Robertson has options at lock. Having started at blindside flanker in the first test, Tupou Vaa’i could shift back into the locking department. If they want to persist with Vaa’i in the No 6 jersey, Robertson could bring veteran Patrick Tuipulotu into the starting side alongside Fabian Holland, with two loose forwards on the bench again.

Reece’s absence on the right wing likely poses more of a head-scratcher for the match-day 23, given the All Blacks only selected two specialist wings in their July squad.

Will Jordan was pushed out to the right wing from fullback after Damian McKenzie replaced Reece and slotted in at the back. Jordan was impressive on the wing, scoring two tries and having a third ruled out, which may encourage the All Blacks to persist with that starting combination. Alternatively, Caleb Clarke, Ruben Love and Emoni Narawa, the latter in the squad as injury cover, could be in contention for the matchday 23.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.